Elevator



in; 29, 1955 D. R. WOOD 2,705,057

ELEVATOR Filed Jan. 21, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l K 1 fl 41. i 22 II) I I IIHAI 1.13

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ATTORNEY United States Patent ELEVATOR Daniel R. Wood, Fort Worth, Tex. Application January 21, 1953, Serial No. 332,155

4 Claims. (Cl. 187-62) This invention relates to elevators for two story structures and has for its object a compact construction occupying relatively little space.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a concealed mechanism for opening and closing doors in the second floor of the structure where the elevator is installed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved elevator installation for a two story structure in a manner whereby the elevator shaft does not extend above the upper level of the second floor.

A further object is to provide an automatic mechanical door opening and closing mechanism including over travel means in connection with its driven parts and whereby complete opening and closing of the referred to doors is assured at all times.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying draw. ing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an elevator shaft, and showing a preferred embodiment of the invention installed therein.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the cage of the elevator extending above the second floor of the structure in which the elevator is installed, and showing the doors for closing the shaft in their open position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of a pair of door actuating torque tubes.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the springs used in the door opening and closing mechanism.

Figure 5 is a broken plan and sectional view of one of the door opening and closing torque tubes.

Figure 6 is a broken perspective view showing the assembly of the springs first shown in Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a spring torque lug, one of which is employed in each of the torque tubes.

Figure 8 is a broken perspective of a cable slide and its associated parts, and

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the lower end of the door operating cables and the lower end of the elevator cage, together with an eye mounted on the latter and cable clamp and pad mounted on said cables.

The form of the invention shown is for installation in a building or the like having first and second floors 10 and 11, respectively, and having a vertical shaft 12 extending between and through said floors. A cage 13 is provided in the shaft 12 and includes a bottom or floor 14 having laterally projecting guides 15 on opposite sides thereof for engaging vertical tracks 16 mounted on opposite inner walls of the shaft 12. Preferably, the shaft 12 and cage 13 are either square or rectangular in transverse cross section. The four corners of the cage 13 are supported by cables 17 attached to brackets 18 on the cage bottom 14, and which cables extend upwardly and over pulleys 19 mounted in the shaft 12 and near the upper end of the latter. The extending ends of the cables 17 may be connected with any suitable raising and lowering mechanism, not shown, such as a driven drum positioned to one side of the elevator shaft 12 and preferably in some out of the way place. The controls for operating the raising and lowering mechanism are not shown since the same are conventional and do not comprise a part of the present invention.

Doors 20 are pivotally secured within the upper end of the shaft 12 by means of hinges 21, and which doors,

2,705,057 Patented Mar. 29, 1955 "ice when closed, have their upper surfaces level with the upper surface of the second floor level 11. Recesses 22 are formed in the second floor level 11 for carrying out the last described arrangement, and axes of the hinges 21 are located from the inner walls of the shaft 12 at a distance greater than the thickness of the doors 20.

Door opening and closing torque tubes 23 are mounted in the upper end of shaft 12 and parallel with the axes of the hinges 21, and include laterally projecting door actuating arms 24 on corresponding ends thereof. The details of the torque tubes are shown in Figures 4 through 7. Each tube assembly 23 includes a tubular member 25 having a stationary cylindrical lug 26 se cured therein and near one end of the tubular member by means of a transverse pin 27. A shouldered cylindrical lug 28 is mounted in the remaining end of the tubular member 25 and projects outwardly therefrom for receiving a collar 29 having a bracket 30 secured on the outer end of the latter. The projecting cylindrical lug 28 is radially drilled to receive an adjusting pin 31 which is positioned through the collar 29. The bracket 30 is provided with holes 32 for securing the same to an inner wall of the shaft 12. The end of the tubular member 25 opposite the bracket 30 is provided with a cylindrical support 33 secured to the adjacent wall of the shaft 12 by means of a screw 34. The tubular member 25 is mounted for rotation on the support 33 and the cylindrical lug 28 which is supported by the collar 29 and bracket 30.

Parallel rod shaped springs 35 having bent ends 36 and 37 are positioned in each tube 25, the bent ends 36 and 37 of which are received in openings 38 and 39 in the lugs 26 and 28, as shown in detail in Figures 5 and 7. Molten lead or the like 40 may be provided within the openings 38 and 39 and around the bent ends 36 and 37 of the springs 35 for securing the same in their described positions.

Within the upper portion of the shaft 12 and on the wall thereof adjacent the door actuating arms, there is a vertically extending guide 41 having a slide 42 mounted thereon. The guide 41 is rectangular in cross section, and slide 42 is correspondingly formed so as to provide a relatively snug sliding fit thereon. The inner surface of the slide 42 facing the center of the shaft 12 is provided with a plate 43 held in place by means of screws 44 for clamping a pair of cables 45, the upper ends of which are connected with the extending ends of the previously described door actuating arms 24. The depending ends of the cable 45 extend downwardly along one side of the shaft 12 and are positioned through an eye 46 secured to and projecting from the cage bottom 14. Beneath the eye 46 there is a rubber ring or pad 47 supported by a cable clamp 48 secured to both of the cables 45. A spacer block 49 is positioned between the lower end of the guide 41 and the adjacent wall of the shaft 12, both guide and spacer block being secured in place by means of screws 50. The lower end of the vertical guide 41 is secured beneath the upper end of the shaft 12 at a distance greater than the length of one of the door actuating arms 24, and the length of the cable 45 between the cable clamping plate 43 and its connection with the outer ends of the door actuating arms 24 is substantially equal to the length of the latter.

In describing the operation, let it be assumed that the cage 13 is in its lower position as shown in Figure 1. As the cage rises, the doors 20 open due to the action of the spring loaded torque tube 23. The arms 24 of the latter contact the lower surfaces of the doors 20 causing the same to open. However, the: angular movement of the arms 24 is limited by the defined lengths of cable 45 beneath the slide 42 and the ends of the arms 24, allowing the door movement to assume a nearly vertical position. Continued upward movement of the cage 13 causes the eye to move away from the pad 47, and after which the depending ends of the cables 45 are freely suspended. When the cage 13 is lowered, the eye 46 again contacts the pad 47, drawing the door actuating arm 24 downwardly. The secured position of the pad 47 on the cables 45 is such that the arms 24 are drawn downwardly to a position lower than horizontal, thereby assuring complete closing of the doors 20.

The invention is not limited to the construction herein shown and described, but may be made in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an elevator for operation between two floors of a structure, doors hingedly mounted on opposite sides of an opening in the upper said floor, pivoted arms within said opening and arranged to contact the lower surfaces of said doors, said arms being spring loaded to normally move in an upward direction, a cage adapted to move up wardly and at least partially through said opening, generally vertically arranged cables connected with said arms at equal distances from the pivoted ends of said arms, means connecting said cables with each other near the upper ends thereof and at a distance with respect thereto substantially equal to the distance between said cable connections on said arms and the pivoted ends thereof, the remaining ends of said cables depending alongside of said cage, means carried by said cage loosely receiving said depending lengths of said cables, and means carried by said cables arranged to engage the last said means.

2. In an elevator as defined in claim 1, said elevator including a shaft between said floors and positioned beneath said openings in said upper floor, said means connecting said cables near the upper ends thereof including a slide connected therewith, and a vertical guide receiving said slide thereon, said guide extending upwardly through said shaft a distance at least equal to the height of said doors when the latter are in their raised positions.

3. In an elevator as defined in claim 1, the construction wherein said arms include rotatable torque tubes and containing the referred to springs therein for normally moving said arms in an upward direction.

4. In an elevator as defined in claim 1, the construction wherein said arms are actuated by means of torque tubes, said torque tubes each including a stationary supporting lug and a lug secured within said torque tubes and adapted to turn therewith, and rod-like springs within each said torque tube connecting said lugs with each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

